It was midday before I got out of bed. I was angry about sleeping in so late until I realised that both Remus and Sirius were still asleep. I rubbed sleep from my eyes and, stepping over Sirius and Remus I trudged out to the bathroom to get washed. I passed Lily on the way but she didn’t look at me, perhaps she hadn’t even seen me. I stumbled back into my room and pulled on my robes, waking Sirius and Remus up before going downstairs.
I turned into the living room where Mike was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper, with Catherine in her cot beside him.
“Hey James, what time did you finally get to sleep then?”
“Oh stop acting like mum would you?” I said flopping into the sofa opposite him. Mike raised his eyes from the newspaper, it was the Daily Prophet.
“Never mind James. Look I’m going out now, mum and dad went out with Sirius’ parents and they won’t be back until this evening so you’re going to have to look after Catherine okay?” I started to protest but Mike wouldn’t listen. “Look you’ve already slept half the day away anyway and it’s not as if you’re doing anything special. I know its your party but she’s your sister too you know. Look I really have to go now, I’ll see you tonight.” Before I could say another word Mike had got up from his chair, picked up his coat and apparated out of the room.
Catherine started crying. Great, I thought, struggling up from the sofa and picking up my screaming sister. After about five minutes I’d managed to quieter her screams and by ten minutes she was sleeping, a lead weight in my arms. I noticed a creak at the door and turned around to see Lily leaning against the door frame, watching me with Catherine. She had an odd smile curling her lips.
“Heya Lils,” I said plopping down onto the sofa again, Catherine still in my arms.
“Hey James,” she smiled at me, perching next to me on the sofa. Catherine started to whimper again.
“James, could you let me hold her for a bit?” I was relieved to pass Catherine’s dead weight over to Lily.
“I think she might need feeding,” Lily said as Catherine continued to whine. “Have you got a bottle handy?”
I watched as Lily fed the baby, burped it, then gently rocked her back to sleep again.
“That's unfair!” I exclaimed in a hushed voice as Lily placed Catherine gently back into the cot ten minutes later. “How come I can never get her to do that and I’m her brother, and then you come in and get her to sleep straight away?” Lily smiled as she sat back down. “Do you have a younger brother or sister or something?”
“No, I only have Petunia,” she said and I laughed at Lily's obvious dislike of her sister. I shook my head and we sat in silence for a while.
“Did you-?” Lily began
“Are they-?” I started at the same time. “You go ahead Lils.”
“No it was nothing really, what were you going to say James?”
“Just asking if Sirius and Remus were still asleep, I mean I woke them up before I came down but...well they still aren’t up.”
“I didn’t hear anything, I guess they’re still asleep. Jess and Ellie are too - I didn’t dare wake them up, they’re nothing short of evil if they get woken up early...not that it is really.” There was silence again. I couldn’t stand it, this would go on for ever and we needed to get it out now.
“Lily, what were you going to say before?”
“Oh, nothing really James. I was just trying to make conversation.”
“Come on Lily, I don’t want this to drag on. I think I know what you were going to say so just say it please, so we can clear it up before the others get down.”
“Alight. Well I just needed to know, last night, you meant what you said didn’t you?” I nodded, “I thought so, but I just wasn’t sure. So what are we going to do now? This is all a big mess really isn’t it?” I nodded and smiled slightly.
“Hey James, why didn’t you wake me up? Oh hi Lily.” Sirius said, jumping over the back of the sofa and sitting in between Lily and me. He’d shattered the atmosphere and I had no immediate wish to mend it so I chatted with him about Quidditch and secret passageways until Lily walked back upstairs. I did think of following her but I decided that it would be easier to ignore her just now.
